BRUSHING UP ON FIRST AID

Companies, individual foundations, and government colleges offer first aid certification Course with many choices to choose from and it is important to take the best course. If you’re uncertain about which certification to go for, you should consider first aid courses that stick to the guiding principle of Red Cross, American Heart Association, Health and Human Services, Occupational safety and Health Administration. First aid courses related to these guidelines are acknowledged and established by various health facilities.

First Aid Training

First aid training and certification course provide an individual with the “permission” to carry out CPR under medical emergencies. Upon successful completion of the certification course, there is a need to write and pass the examination. Wallet card and course qualification which states that such individual has undergone training in basic life support would then be presented. The certification course has an expiry period of usually two years to enable change of procedure from time to time. It is, therefore, necessary for the trained individual to re-qualify for the changes that have been made. Many societies and institutes provide the facility of upgrading a first aid certification without any excess commission.

The first aid certification will help an individual become aware of severe conditions, such as accidents, live support, medical emergencies, and managing casualty. It is unprincipled to carry out first aid treatment without proper training and preparation. An unsuitable action can further aggravate the victim’s problem rather than fixing it. First aid certification training will be helpful to an individual and also help to act in an extremely critical situation with patience and accuracy. The certification will provide the essential knowledge needed to handle any kind of emergency and protect life.

CPR and First Aid Certification

The American Red Cross and several other institutions provide first aid and CPR courses online and some of which may be available for free. Apart from online courses, you can also learn CPR and first aid from local hospitals and chapters of the Red Cross. Certification in CPR is essential because saving the life of a patient with sudden cardiac arrest can be possible. For instance, a person has about 6 minutes to live when he/she stops breathing, and irreversible brain damage could occur without oxygen. The thin difference between life and death in that crave situation is having the knowledge of how to provide rescue breathing with a delay in the arrival of an ambulance. Temporarily, first aid training is very important because it tells you how to handle a situation during a medical crisis. Therefore, CPR and first aid training are essential and recommended to everyone.

CPR (cardiopulmonary resuscitation) is a process carried out to offer a person who has suffered cardiac arrest with a chance to live before the ambulance arrives. Additionally, within a short time that the person stops breathing, brain damage may occur. Ensuring that the airway is not blocked up by the tongue or some other object is the first initiatory procedure. The next measure is to provide rescue breaths that will drive air into the lungs of the victim. If there is no heart rate, chest compressions will have to be done, followed by rescue breaths, then chest compressions again, until a pulse is observed.

First aid is likewise an indispensable component in CPR and first aid training. This special form of grooming is crucial because accidents and medical emergencies do occur. Some of the conditions that call for first aid are puncture wounds, bite injuries, nose bleeds, head wounds, fractures, cuts, electric shock, scrapes, choking, burns, and bruises. Every condition requires a particular first aid treatment procedure therefore, CPR training requires hands-on work practical training. Citing an example, the treatment of an electric shock is quite different from the treatment of choking. The knowledge of the appropriate kind of treatment that will lessen damage is a central component of providing first aid.

Basic First Aid

Blood Shed

If a person is shedding blood, or not breathing, or going into shock, you cannot simply wait. Corrective action must be taken immediately. It is really critical for everyone to realize the basic First Aid involved in these conditions.

Bleeding must be stopped as soon as possible because the loss of too much blood could lead to death. First aid for bleeding involves putting pressure on the injury. It is a very simple technique, but completely essential.

Breathing, vital life function

If the heart stops breathing, death follows immediately. The basic First Aid procedures for the restoring breathing include the CPR and Heimlich Maneuver. The CPR has been discussed earlier. CPR is a bit more difficult. In most instances, a person must be well trained and licensed to execute it. It is, for this reason, some do not consider it Basic First Aid, but if breathing is not restored death will result. The Heimlich Maneuver is a process of displacing a blockage in the pharynx causing choking. It is easy to learn and practically simple to perform, but can be lifesaving.

Shock, a silent killer

It is the body’s response to trauma. There are symptoms that give a clue that an individual is going into shock, but often times there are mistaken for something else. It is always safe to presume that a shock will result from any harm. The treatments for shock are simple and basic. In this situation, keeping the patient covered to provide warmth, and raising feet are examples of the basic First Aid for the shock.

Burns

When an individual experiences a burn, the skin is ruined. Many dangers and potential complications, could result immediately. The skin is responsible for moderating the heat retained and emitted from the body. The smallest damage received as a result of a burn could lead to serious implications if the proper first aid measures are not taken to care for the wound.

First Aid for Burns

There is various degree of burns based on the severity of the injury. There are first, second and third degree of burns and each has a particular first aid treatment.

First-Degree Burns

First-degree burns affect the outer surface of the skin and are considered to be the least dangerous of all burns, which may be experienced by an individual, but they hold the potential to lead to complications, if not cared for properly. A red discoloration is observed as a possible sign of inflammation. If 3-4 inches of the skin layer is affected, the following measures could be taken:

You should immediately apply muddy sand or raw egg to the affected area. Ensure you do not rub the affected before applying either the sand or the raw egg as this can aggravate the inflammation. The muddy sand prevents swelling and peeling of the skin layer while the egg provides soothing relief from the pains and redness of the burns.

Second-Degree Burns

This type of burns affects both the surface and lower layer of the skin. It is normal for the skin to blister almost immediately, and the individual to suffer from a severe amount of pain and redness. If the effect of the burn is moderately small, the same measures taken for a first-degree burn may be followed. But, if the individual starts experiencing a fever, then the pain is described as being too severe, or there may be signs of associated infection. The best first aid step is to seek out emergency medical help to treat the inflammation because infections could result in serious health complications for the person that suffers from second-level burns.

Third-Degree Burns

If an individual experiences the third-degree burn, it is expected that they will be in acute pain because this type of burn affects all the strata of the skin. Other components of the body, such as muscle and bones may be affected by this type of burn in some extremely severe cases. Before the emergency medical personnel arrive, it is important to follow these first aid steps:

Ensure the source of the burn is removed and if a moist cloth is available, use it to cover the burned area of the body.

Make an attempt to raise the burned areas.

Observe if the is moving or making some type of respiratory sound. If no, start administering first aid through CPR immediately. It is significant to understand that first aid for burns are only a means of precluding an individual from developing severe health issues and also ensuring their comfort until professional medical assistance is given. 911 should be called immediately whenever an individual sustains a severe injury.

The right first aid course will provide the ability to perform Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) and put into operation automated external defibrillator at home or in any other emergency situations. The first aid certification will also help individual complete necessary procedures with competence until further help arrives. The first aid kit contains all the necessary provisions and materials that can be applied to any emergency situation. With a first aid certification, a person will be in a situation to preserve many lives by properly utilizing the first aid kit.